From vine to table

Ronnie Fein

Published 6:25 pm, Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Tomato lovers love August, when there's a bounty of ripe, red fruit hanging from vines in backyards, stacked in bins at the supermarkets and stuffed into buckets at farm stands. It's all an incredibly tasty inspiration. End-of-summer tomatoes are not merely sweet and splendid for eating out of hand (sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper) or for adding to a salad, but also for cooking, especially for fresh tomato sauce.

Sauce made with fresh summer tomatoes is not at all like the kind we cook when it's cold out. Those, lovingly made with canned tomatoes and stewed for hours on the stove, are thick and rich, heavy and rib-sticking, qualities that make us feel warm and secure.

When it's hot outside, though, and we yearn for food that makes us feel cool and free, it's easy to understand the appeal of a lighter, more refreshing sauce made with fresh produce, a dish that's delicate and easy to digest, in harmony with the weather.

Fresh tomato sauce is also quick and easy to cook. Here's the simplest version: Saute chopped tomatoes in a bit of olive oil until the pulp is soft, about 15 minutes. No more is needed. You can mix it into pasta or use it as a salsa for grilled vegetables or meat and as a dip for fresh crusty bread.

You never need to go beyond these basics, but if you wish, and without too much fuss, this simple dish can be a foundation for more complex variations. Add chopped onion and garlic or a few fresh chopped herbs (basil, oregano, marjoram, summer savory or thyme are recommended).

Mushroom fans can saute a cupful of sliced mushrooms (or 1/2 cup dried, soaked mushrooms) along with the onion. If you like sauce that's spicy and well seasoned, add a chopped habanero or serrano pepper (or 1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper).

Bacon aficionados can crisp up 2 to 3 ounces chopped bacon or pancetta and use the rendered fat to cook the tomatoes.

Summer tomato sauce will still retain its light, fresh feel even if you bulk it up with vegetables (such as olives, eggplant, zucchini or bell peppers) or ground veal (or other meat), and even if you enrich it with cream and add lots of grated fresh Parmesan cheese.

It isn't necessary to peel and deseed the tomatoes before you cook with them, but texture improves if you do. Here's how: Heat a large pot of water. When it comes to a boil, add the tomatoes. Cook for 20 seconds. Drain the tomatoes under cold water. Pierce each tomato near the stem end with the tip of a sharp knife and pull back to remove the skin. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the seeds.

Any variety of tomato will work for fresh sauce, so take advantage of end-of-summer sales and bulk discounts whether you see plum tomatoes, beefsteaks or any other types. Plum tomatoes are usually the first choice of professional cooks because the flesh is drier and sauce made with plum tomatoes is consequently less watery. No matter; if you use round tomatoes, cook the sauce longer and it will be just fine.

Fresh Tomato Sauce

Makes enough for one pound of pasta (about 3 cups)

16-18 plum tomatoes or 8 large tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion

1 large clove garlic

3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a large pot of water. When it comes to a boil, add the tomatoes. Cook for 20 seconds. Drain the tomatoes under cold water. Pierce the tomato near the stem end with the tip of a sharp knife and pull back to remove the skin. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the tomatoes, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-30 minutes, or until it has reached the desired consistency.

Pasta with Fresh Tomato Sauce with Cream and Cheese

Makes 4 servings

1 recipe Fresh Tomato Sauce

1 cup medium whipping cream

1 pound pasta

2/3 cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Prepare Fresh Tomato Sauce. When it is cooked, puree the sauce in a food processor or blender. Return the sauce to the saucepan. Stir in the cream and cook for 1-2 minutes or until hot. Prepare the pasta according to package directions. Mix the sauce into the pasta, top with the cheese and serve.

Fresh Tomato Sauce Puttanesca

Makes enough for one pound of pasta (about 3-1/2 cups)

16-18 plum tomatoes or 8 large tomatoes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion

1 large clove garlic

3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

3 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained

3 dozen mixed pitted black and green imported olives, cut coarsely

8-10 anchovy filets, mashed

Heat a large pot of water. When it comes to a boil, add the tomatoes. Cook for 20 seconds. Drain the tomatoes under cold water. Pierce the tomato near the stem end with the tip of a sharp knife and pull back to remove the skin. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and set aside. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan. Add the onion and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the tomatoes, basil, oregano, red pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Cook, over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Stir in the capers, olives and anchovies and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until it has reached the desired consistency.

Fresh Tomato Sauce with Bacon and Mushrooms

Makes enough for one pound of pasta (about 3 cups)

16-18 plum tomatoes or 8 large tomatoes

2-3 ounces bacon, cut up

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion

1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

1 large clove garlic

3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat a large pot of water. When it comes to a boil, add the tomatoes. Cook for 20 seconds. Drain the tomatoes under cold water. Pierce the tomato near the stem end with the tip of a sharp knife and pull back to remove the skin. Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the seeds. Chop the tomatoes into small pieces and set aside. Cook the bacon in a large saucepan over medium heat. When it has crisped, remove the bacon, crumble the meat and set it aside. Discard all but 2-3 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan. Add the olive oil to the pan. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook over medium heat for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the tomatoes, basil and salt and pepper to taste. Cook over low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 15-30 minutes, or until it has reached the desired consistency. Return the bacon crumbles to the pan and heat through for a minute or so.

Ronnie Fein is a cookbook author and cooking teacher in Stamford. Visit her food blog, Kitchen Vignettes, at www.ronniefein.com